# Theotokos of Buchyn

The Theotokos of Buchyn is an icon which allegedly appeared in the 18th century and honored as miraculous by the Orthodox Christians of Volyn, Rivne (Ukraine), and Pinsk (Belarus) Polesye. The icon measures 65x80 cm.
It is worshipped in the St. Nicholas Church, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the village of Buchyn in the Lyubeshiv district of Volyn oblast of Ukraine. A 15-kilometer long religious procession to the icon of Our Lady of Buchyn takes place annually on May 22, starting at the village of Zarudchi in the Lyubeshiv district.
The Blessed Virgin is depicted with her hands folded in prayer and soulful eyes.

## History

In the spring of 1706 on the island, among the floodplain of the river Stokhid, the villagers of Buchyn noticed an unusual light radiated by the miraculous Icon of the Holy Virgin.
Miraculous healing that began to occur in front of the image of Holy Mother, inspired inhabitants of Buchyn to build a chapel on the place of her landing and later a church.
During the First and Second World Wars the icon was secreted in hiding place amid impassable swamps.
Till 1793 the church in Buchyn belonged to the Russian Uniate Church – (today Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church).
Later, from 1794 to 1921, it was a part of the Minsk diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, from 1922 to 1939 – to Polessie diocese of the Polish Orthodox Church, and from 1944 – to Volyn- Rivne Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church . Since 1990 the church belongs to Volyn Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
Among the priests who ministered near the icon of Theotokos of Buchyn were:
* Illarion Tsyrilkevych – from 1848 to 1863.
* Ihnatii Prushynskyi – from 1870 to 1875.
* Mykhailo Malevych – from 1876 to 1892.
* Foma Tumilovych – from 1892 to 1895.
* Oleksii Dankevych – from 1895 to 1900.
* Vasyl Oberman – from 1900 to 1915.
* Vasyl Byeloholovik (1893–1926) – from 1922 to 1926.
* Yevhen Kvacheniuk – from 1927 to 1930.
* Ioan Lozytskyi – from 1931 to 1933.
* Mykola Rozdialovskyi – from 1933 to 1935.
From 1961 to 1990, due to the termination of Divine Services in the Temple of Buchyn, Icon of the Theotokos witnessed numerous confessions and prayers of the faithful Christians in the church of Derevok village of the Lyubeshiv district. In 1990, the Icon of the Theotokos was returned to its honored place in the Temple of Buchyn village by the Procession.
Buchynska Theotokos was stolen from the church by robbers many times, but was returned every time. The last time it was in May 2007.
The icon of the Holy Virgin was being restored at the Museum of Volyn Icons in Lutsk from March till May, 2007 by the painter Anatolii Kvasiuk
The wooden church, filled with God's grace, float on the waves of Stokhid river for four centuries.

## God's blessing through Holy Virgin

1. Sisters Olga and Yevgenia, in 1995 in a letter addressed to the senior priest of the Buchyn's temple of that time, told the story about healing of their brother Vasyl. Sisters live in Pinsk now.
2. The senior priest of Buchyn, Sergiy Kulchytskyi, recalled the memories about his life trial, which were written down by his daughter Valentyna. The Theotokos of Buchyn helped him to survive.